1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery arrangement suitable for operating electrical loads in a vehicle configured to transport dangerous goods, i.e., hazardous materials.
2. Related Art
For the transport of dangerous goods by a vehicle, the specific regulations in accordance with the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) or the German Regulation on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (GGVS) apply. A requirement set forth in these regulations consists in that, in devices which are used as electrical loads in a so-called ADR/GGVS vehicle, when switching of the starting or when actuating an emergency switch after a preset time (for example 3 seconds), no energy source should be active anymore or only an energy source with a low power. Generally, current is supplied to the electrical loads via an electrical system of the ADR/GGVS vehicle that is completely separated from the vehicle battery with the aid of power relays when starting is switched off or on actuation of an emergency switch. As a result, a deenergized state of the entire vehicle is intended to be ensured. In this regard, to a large extent battery-operated devices are dispensed with in ADR/GGVS vehicles.
However, devices such as tachographs, telematic devices, toll devices and event data recorders, which require a basic power supply to maintain a data buffer store or an integrity monitoring system, for example, have device-internal batteries, which can be connected to the electrical system of the ADR/GGVS vehicle for electrical charging.
For the case where the ADR/GGVS vehicle is switched so as to be deenergized, it is of particular importance in the case of such battery-operated devices that safe switchover to an internal battery operation can take place without the requirements of the ADR/GGVS being infringed in the process. In this regard, solutions are already known in which the switchover to the battery operation, for example in order to prevent data losses during data storage, and the switchover to a voltage source with a low power, for example for data buffering, as can occur on actuation of a (vehicle) battery switch disconnector, are subject to a time delay, in software-controlled fashion. The switchover systems used for this purpose use additional electronics and/or software and are complex in respect of the need for monitoring the function of said switchover systems.
Typically, the mentioned switchover systems are installed at the outset in all electrical loads with an internal battery, although the use of the switchover systems, corresponding to the purpose, in ADR/GGVS vehicles only makes up a very low percentage. This therefore results in unnecessary added expense in respect of corresponding electrical loads.